WITH Australian football on a high, A-League players received a further boost yesterday with the news that their financial futures in the game are more secure.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) announced the new Collective Bargaining Agreement has been extended for another two years.

The minimum wage is up from $48,000 to $50,000 a season and there’s a slight change in the salary cap, with the current $2.468 million lifted to $2.5 million for the coming season and $2.55 million in the 2014-2015 season.

It is hoped the investment, while not a massive one given the new $16 million broadcast deal with Fox and SBS, will ultimately result in a more competitive Socceroos outfit.

"We have a talent pool of about 238 A-League players," Brendan Schwab, co-founder of the PFA said

"We then have another 100 playing at a strong level internationally. So we have about 400 players from which the Socceroos are to be selected. Brazil has 16,000.

"We have to invest in each of those careers - they’re all precious commodities."

PFA President Simon Colosimo admitted it was a modest increase, but he’s especially pleased with the investment in the off-field careers and wellbeing of the players.

The PFA will administer a program that will continue to assist players in the transition to life after their playing careers.

"It’s our aim to have players walk out of the game in a better position than when they walked in," Colosimo said

"Not only financially, but more so as people. Hopefully they can continue and work in the game."

A-League boss Damien de Bohun said negotiations lasted between five and six months and consideration was given to a longer agreement.

"Obviously we have a new broadcast rights deal and in the end we agreed two years was a good amount of time to get more certainty around exactly what things look like," de Bohun said.

The new A-League season kicks off on October 11 when Sydney FC play the Newcastle Jets at Allianz Stadium.